12 DECEMBER 1947, Page 16

Protective Railings

A good many urban spaces have been improved to the general gaze by the removal of the iron railings during the war ; and most of them are not to be replaced. Nevertheless, they had their advantages. In some of the urban and suburban parks—as a dweller in Tottenham laments—no bird has a chance of nesting successfully in the clumps of bushes owing to the activity of the human boy, who stones the birds in winter as well as robbing the nests in spring ; and even the labels attached to rarer trees and bushes are removed. The war seems to have evilly affected morality in such regards. .A3 another example, secretaries of golf clubs find that their boxes for sand and even direction signs and notices are broken or stolen.